Ludwig Prandtl and the growth of fluid mechanics in Germany

Abstract

Ludwig Prandtl (1875–1953) has been called the father of modern aerodynamics. His name is associated most famously with the boundary layer concept, but also with several other topics in 20th-century fluid mechanics, particularly turbulence (Prandtl's mixing length). Among his disciples are pioneers of modern fluid mechanics like Heinrich Blasius, Theodore von Kármán, and Walter Tollmien. Furthermore, Prandtl founded the Aerodynamische Versuchsanstalt (AVA) and the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut für Strömungsforschung in Göttingen, nuclei for the growth of fluid mechanics in Germany. In this article I trace this development on the basis of my recent biography of Prandtl.

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